


Quebec Family AU - Adrien Aug-rest 2019

by jenna1931, Melyxan



Series: Quebec Family AU [4]
Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Adrien Aug-rest 2019, Adrien August 2019, First Try, Gen, Not In Chronological Order, pre and post reveal, prompts, related to an other work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-25
Updated: 2019-08-30
Packaged: 2020-07-19 19:48:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 31
Words: 15,846
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19979539
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jenna1931/pseuds/jenna1931, https://archiveofourown.org/users/Melyxan/pseuds/Melyxan
Summary: ForAdrien August 2019on TumblrI'm early, I know, but it's my first time and I needed time to work on it.I have no regrets... well, maybe a little...





	1. Sunshine

**Author's Note:**

> I use the prompts to add content to my actual series. The best course is to read the principal fic to understand. TL;DR: please read these headcanons and "long story shorts"  
> -Adrien arrives in Quebec mid-December for a photoshoot from where he ran away - as Chat Noir - after an argument with his father. He ends up at the retail store where I work and I'm asked to keep an eye on him while we try to contact his guardians who don't answer our calls.  
> -I know Ladybug and Chat Noir as fictional characters, so I know everything about him, about LB, the kwamis and Hawkmoth. My sister and her daughter aswell, but will tell him later. My boyfriend learns about him eventually and my parents learn about all this in the drabbles (coming eventually)  
> -In the fic, there weren't any other episodes after Season 2, with Mayura. IRL, I almost had completed the main fic when Season 3 first aired.  
> -Adrien arrives at 15 years old. His birthday is around end of May. He's officially adopted by my boyfriend and I at his 16th birthday. He'll add my surname to his only later during his adult life.  
> -Adrien will only return in France when he'll be 21 y-o. He talks to Nino and has news from Alya and Marinette thanks to him, but he doesn't talk much with him. He's really busy with his everyday life, almost as when he was in France, but he chose these activities.  
> -At the beginning of the story, I work in the office of the retail store. I'll open a shop in my basement to create cloths and costumes with my sister. During this period, we also move to a new house.  
> -I frequently used the Black Cat Miraculous when Adrien couldn't. When Chat Noir needs to stay a secret to protect his identity, my alter-ego, Pantera, becomes the official Miraculous of Quebec. I'll receive later the Dragon Miraculous, becoming Furyflame, Pantera disappears. (Please note that, while I'm writing this, _Ikari Gozen_ hasn't aired yet, so I don't, and didn't know what were the Dragon Miraculous powers when I wrote my fic)  
> -My name is also Emilie. Adrien calls me Emi or Mom, and calls his biological mother Mother (it loses in translation)  
> -Adrien continues to patrol as Chat Noir, but his presence needs to stay a secret, so I watch his patrols via social medias, press and news to make sure he hasn't been spotted.  
> -Adrien is a disaster in a kitchen. It's also impossible to tell if he's drunk or not.  
> -Adrien can purr without being transformed. He also has a better hearing and night vision, but not as good as when he's transformed.  
> -I have 3 cats when he arrives in my life, and has a tendency to follow their example.  
> -Adrien stays a dork, no matter how old he is...  
> -Chat Noir got stuck in a fire and got his breathing system burned. For 4 months, he was unable to talk, so he learned to sign (using LSQ). This was Pantera's first appearance.  
> -Emilie Agreste is back from the dead (death ?) because I took her place in the capsule keeping her artificially alive. I stay there for a year.  
> -Adrien has nightmares. At first, they are not frequent, but with the different traumas, they become more frequent and more violent. They'll calm down with his common life with Marinette.  
> **I'll add new ones as I go with my writings. I can also add others at the beginning of the chapters to help you understand**  
> **Everything is at Adrien POV**  
> **Honestly, I don't know what I'm doing...**  
> **Chapters are NOT in chronological order**

Finally a night patrol that went well! Being in this city only recently, I'm still able to lose myself, but this time, my route was fixed and I did not get lost as easily as in my previous outings. Satisfied, I returned earlier to enjoy a good night's sleep. The next morning, I found Emilie pacing in the living room. "Emilie? Is everything alright?" I was worried about her attitude, and the look she gave me only confirmed my fears.

"You’ve been seen last night..." she simply said with a sigh.

I was surprised. I am always extremely careful! "But," I had a small smirk. " _I am revenge, I am_ _the_ _night, I am_ _ **Cat**_ _man!_ " She smiled, then shook her head, discouraged. _Success!_

However, she quickly found her seriousness and showed me a picture that was making the buzz on the Internet. There was a blurred figure between the roofs of two buildings. The form was dark and if one did not know it was me in costume, it could be passed as a defect in the photography, if it was not for... "I'd say you're a sunshine in the night... "...my hair. The lighting of the city was not enough to distinguish my costume, but my blond hair stood out admirably.

During the cold weather, I had the hat that Elise knitted for me for Christmas, but spring was upon us and the magic of my costume was enough to protect me adequately from the cool weather. As Chat Noir was to remain a secret in Quebec, I turned to Emilie and Plagg. "What do you suggest?"

My hostess turned to my kwami. "The costume is what you really wanted deep down." I had already heard Plagg mention this detail to the word about the costumes during an attempt to shoot for a music video by Clara Nightingale, which had quickly turned into a fight against an akuma. Plagg nodding to her thoughts, Emilie then turned to me. "At the moment of transforming, could you imagine yourself with a hood? At least the time that the world forgets that this picture has ever existed?" I nodded, making sure that Plagg was going to help me in this new transformation. My secret, my identity and, above all, the lives of those people who had welcomed me among them with open arms depended on it.


	2. Feathers

"You're gonna want to kill me... or die, depends..."

I started to laugh. "At this point?" Emilie pinched the bridge of her nose and showed me the email she’d received, a special order for a thematic wedding... angels and demons. I found the concept interesting. The men would all wear demon wings, and the women would have angel wings. They had ordered twenty pairs in all. "That’s a cute idea! And it's a hell of a contract you have there!"

She gave me a puzzled look. "Don’t you see the problem at all?" I shook my head. "Adrien, what do you think are the angel's wings made of?"

"From..." I suddenly widened my eyes. "…feathers..." _Oh no_...

"I'll make sure we have enough antihistamines..."


	3. Just a friend

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Mariana is a university friend. She got akumatized for being rejected by Adrien after she expressed her feelings to him.  
> -At this point, Hawkmoth knows Adrien is Chat Noir, and he learns that Pantera is Adrien's foster mother. He just doesn't know what she looks like.   
> -Adrien's crush reversed after he received a video from Alya for his birthday where Marinette declared her feelings for him without being aware of it.

After her akumatization, Mariana and I set things right between us. She had always lived in a city where there were very few black people, and had always believed that, if you didn’t like her, it was due to the color of her skin. It took us a few hours and several coffees to convince her.

"You swear to me?" She asked me for the umpteenth time.

I sighed and took out my phone, browsing the photo application. Nino had the courtesy to send me photos of when I was in France, having lost my phone the day I met Emilie. After a while, I came across the picture I was looking for, showing it to her decidedly. "You see? I'm here with my friend Nino and his girlfriend Alya, and with Marinette..."

She studied the photography from every angle. "You don’t look in love with her for five cents, on that photo!" She replied, skeptical. "You seem to be friends, but nothing more..."

I picked up my phone and let my eyes go through all the details of the picture, reminding me of this outing, one of the last before I left for Quebec. "At that time, I just saw Marinette as a friend, but..." I couldn’t see the picture anymore, only Marinette, and I felt overwhelmed by a feeling of nostalgia. "... I realized a few years ago that she was much more than just a friend, and I promised to tell her about it when I see her again..."

"What if you never see her again?" This time Mariana spoke calmly, gently putting a hand on my arm. "Or if you found with someone else?"

I’d often wondered about Ladybug. She had already told me that she loved another guy who didn’t seem to respond to her feelings. I knew she was unavailable, but I always tried, sometimes jokingly, sometimes seriously, but I was never surprised to be rejected. I understood very well what Mariana felt, especially her skepticism. "Then I will die virgin!" We started to laugh, but I quickly found my seriousness. I knew that Mariana had already received advances from other men to whom she had never said 'no'. She would find someone other than me to love. As for me, there had always been only one woman in my life, two in recent years, but I had chances with only one of them. In my heart, things were reversed. If I had always been in love with Ladybug and had always seen Marinette as a friend, today my heart was only beating for Marinette and I could always count on the unconditional friendship of my Lady. "Seriously, she is and will always be the one... Even if I'm too late or it's not reciprocal, then I'll always be by her side as a friend, and that will satisfy me..."

Mariana didn’t look convinced, but she gently squeezed my hand with hers, then got up and kissed me on the cheek. "You're a really good guy, Adrien, and I'm sorry for what I said..." She then walked away, waving at me, wishing me good luck for my heart stories and assured me that we would stay friends. I sighed, relieved, then went back to my group picture, suddenly worried. And if it was me she would see only as a friend?


	4. Lucky Charm

"I know it's not much, but… late happy birthday!"

Emilie laughed heartily, then shook her head. "You know, you didn’t have to give me a present!" She put her hand on my head and vigorously ruffled my hair.

I could not help laughing, but I looked at her, a little pitiful. "I did not know it was your birthday, but I wanted to give you something..." She rolled her eyes, but finally agreed with a smile. After all, she had offered me a new family for my birthday; this little something was a speck of dust in comparison. She gently opened the box, then suspended her gesture and then gently pull out the bracelet that was there. I was inspired by the lucky charm that Marinette had given me and that I had offered to her in return. "I... I hope you like it? I know, it's rather banal as a gift, but I…" I did not have time to finish my sentence. She was already hanging the bracelet on her wrist and watching it from every angle. She had already mentioned that her favorite color was purple, so I chose the beads accordingly.

She then turned to me and hugged me. "I really like your gift, but I already have a Lucky Charm..."

"Oh?" I did not know, and the fact that she admits it slightly disappointed me.

She gently nodded. "I’m hugging it right now..."


	5. Partners

It was the big day. The _BIG DAY!_ It was the... f*ck, it's really the big day!? I wriggled my fingers, I looked from one side to the other of the room, I spent my time looking at Nino who was doing his best to reassure me, knowing himself stressed by the situation, I was tapping, I looked for my families - although one of them consists only of my mother... Then she finally arrived at her father's arm. She was beautiful, an angel fallen from the sky, beauty embodied,... I couldn’t believe that I could be so lucky: to have fallen twice in love with the same person. I admit, I didn’t know it was the same girl at the time. _Damn me, I was blind!_ I saw them both without difficulty, Ladybug as Marinette. Arrived at the altar, Tom then gave me the hand of his daughter. Although this event had to be respectable, we had agreed that humor was part of our daily lives; the seriousness coming with the Miraculous. So it was with a certain surprise that people welcomed Nino as our celebrant.

"Guys, we are all here today to unite these two idiots in the sacred bonds of marriage."

"T’was about time!!" Exclaimed Alix from the back of the room.

Under the laughter of the audience, Nino nodded approvingly, then resumed, handing me a carton that I took while shaking slightly, then turning to Marinette to give her hers. "Dude?" Nino said, inviting me to continue.

I took a deep breath, then turned to Marinette, my Lady. _Damn_ _she_ _'s beautiful!_ I can’t believe she wants a guy like me! "For a long time, too long, I have seen in you only a good friend; a close friend, certainly, but just a friend. It took me years, several thousand miles and a video to understand that the woman of my dreams had been with me for so long... No, but don’t you have to be a moron ?!"

"You put yourself in this mess alone, dude! We did everything for you to realize it!" Nino exclaimed, slapping me on the shoulder, the audience laughing.

I could only nod with an embarrassed smile before resuming, taking gently the hands of my beloved, the cardboard placed between my fingers so that I could still refer to it. "Marinette, my Lady, my Princess, I promise to love you, no matter if you are, like today, the most beautiful woman in the world, or if you look like a zombie; to console you after a hard day or because of a sad movie. I will NEVER help you in the kitchen, but I’ll do anything to help you _otherwise_." Marinette wiped her brow and sighed theatrically. "I promise to wake you up before your third alarm, to always agree with you, even when I'm sure I'm right, and to make you laugh every day with my puns, either you like it or not."

Marinette rolled her eyes as the room began to laugh. Knowing that it was her turn, Marinette vaguely consulted her cardboard, then threw it behind her, staring straight into my eyes. "Adrien, my Kitten, my Stupidosaurus,..." I pouted, making the audience laugh. "... at first, I only saw in you a friend of Chloe and I could only imagine that you were like her..." She turned to the room, glancing at her. "No hard feelings, Chloe!" She lifted her nose and pushed a lock of hair haughtily as she always does, but I could see a small smirk. Their relationship, since she knew Marinette was Ladybug, had greatly improved. "After all, it was her chewing gum that made us know each other, and a rainy day when you handed me your umbrella allowed me to fall in love with you!"

"Girl, it was almost frightening!" Exclaimed Alya. I remember that Marinette had told me she had my schedule on a large board in her room.

Blushing, Marinette took a good breath and resumed. "I promise to always meet your needs for affection, whether it's because you're a cat at heart or because you've had a nightmare. I promise never to ruin the end of a movie or anime, never to hate your puns even if I don’t laugh at all of them, and to let you win once in a while at _UMS IV_. I promise to always respect your model and athlete diet, but also to always fill your sugar cravings." She suddenly became very serious. "But above all, I promise to always love you for you and for you alone, and not for your surname."

I smiled, reassured, quickly wiping a tear. _Never underestimate how important you are to others._ I’ll never forget those words again. I slightly brought forward my fist towards her. "We’re partners, a duo, you and me against the whole world."

She pressed her fist against mine. "We are partners, a team, we are inseparable."

Our fist bump being his signal, Nino spoke again. "Adrien Prud'Homme-Agreste, do you want to marry my Dudette Marinette Dupain-Cheng?"

"Of course!"

"And you, Marinette Dupain-Cheng, do you want to marry my Bro Adrien Prud'homme-Agreste?"

"Oh! Yeah!"

Nino, all smiles, then clapped his hands. "Excellent! The bets are definitely closed! Dude, you know what to do!"

Without waiting, having already been too patient, I seized Marinette and dipped her to kiss her passionately. She remained surprised, but 'surprisingly' didn’t resist.


	6. Cardboard

"Uh... Mom? Are we... moving?!" To the amount of cardboard boxes in the basement, I was indeed entitled to ask the question. Her answer worried me. I loved this house, and to learn that we would prepare to move without even being informed of it was getting me sad.

She laughed heartily, reassuring me in a certain way. "Come on, don’t make that look! No, we’re not moving; I just need them for a costume!" _A costume?! Cardboard-based!?_ People had decidedly funny projects, sometimes!

"How do you intend to make a costume out of cardboard?" I was skeptical, but curious at the same time. "And why would someone like to have a cardboard costume?!"

She burst out laughing and motioned me to approach, showing me the plans she and the client had come up with. It was the armor of a famous comic superhero, and to see what she had already started, it was promising. "It just needs to be strong enough to last all day. Actually, I think cardboard is really an underrated material. It's solid, lightweight and it’s easy to handle without the need for highly specialized tools." She quickly stared at me from top to bottom. "It could be funny, a ‘Cardboard Chat Noir’!"

I made a disgusted pout and burst out laughing. As if the idea could one day go through my head! (*cough* Oblivio *cough*) With that, she returned to her order. I took a look at the pile of boxes folded to take up the least space possible, but still covered enough space for me to lie on it. Curious, I told myself with a smile that it would be fun to see exactly how I would hold on it - I think a five-year-old Adrien is still sleeping in me. I climbed on the mountain and lay on it... it was surprisingly comfortable!

I suddenly felt a hand on my shoulder, shaking me, and a voice gently calling my name and laughing. I opened my eyes - _when did I close them?!_ \- and I looked at my mother, puzzled. "If you're so tired, you'd better go straight to bed and leave my boxes alone, KitCat!" _What?!_ _Wh..._ _What had happened?_ "Kitty, you've been sleeping in a ball on my boxes for three hours! Even Jackie didn’t stay that long!" I sighed, growling, understanding that I had still acted like a cat... Sometimes, this Miraculous is a real curse...


	7. UWU

I had already visited Emilie's parents a few times, and Eve, my hostess's niece, was there more often than I thought at first. I finally learned that, in fact, the school bus was letting her close by and Eve was then going to her grandparents' house while waiting for her mother to finish the job to pick her up. Her work schedule was not so good with the school timetable of her daughter. At first, although Eve was friendly with me, she did not seem too daring to talk to me until I took the initiative and invited her to show me her games. We had about five years difference, but that did not bother me. After all, I was an only child and spending time with her gave me the impression of discovering life with a little sister.

With our visits and the time we spent together, she had come to appreciate me enough to pick me up as soon as she saw me to grab me to her playroom or play the console with her. Sometimes, she even welcomed me with a drawing or something she had crafted even before I could remove my coat!

Today, she had introduced me to _Minecraft_. I had already heard about it, but I did not find the idea too interesting, until Eve made me discover it in her own way. I quickly got dragged to it and could not wait until our next game. Before leaving, while everyone was on their hello-off tour, Emilie was hugging her godchild "Y’know I love you, Peanut?"

She nodded, but quickly freed herself from her embrace to come towards me. "But I prefer 'Drien!"

Everyone then turned to us, Eve hugging me as if she did not want to let me go. I felt myself blush, Emilie hiding her laugh in a falsely offended surprise, while the others found the situation more and more funny. But I was speechless, giving a hug to the girl. I could only appreciate her affection with all my heart, not wishing to leave.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **My niece said something like that to me**


	8. Cat Tendencies

I had decided to strongly mess with Marinette. For a week, I’d been doing everything I could to act like a cat, but only when she thought she’d caught me by surprise. It was from running my hand through my hair as if I was grooming to rub my cheek intensely against hers, purring loudly, then pretending that nothing had happened.

Then came what I hoped so much: Marinette, worried, called my quebec mother. I couldn’t help but leave an ear hanging while I did some chores.

"Does it happen to him often?" She asked after summarizing the situation.

I heard Emilie mumbling, thinking for herself before giving her an answer. _"Never in extremes as you_ _describe it_ _to me..._ _He p_ _urrs easily when he’s happy or worried, even when_ _he’_ _s not transformed, but you already know_ _that_ _... I sometimes got him to sleep directly on the ground in a hot sun, but it was always in moments of great stress..."_

To illustrate this type of nap, I lay down in the meridian chair we had kept from Marinette and that was actually in full sun at this time of day. However, I slept in such a way that one almost thought I didn’t have a spine. It hurt like hell, but it was a price I was willing to pay. I then heard Marinette sigh exasperated. "Look, that's exactly what I mean..."

I once again heard Emilie thinking aloud. Marinette was probably in video chat and she turned the camera towards me. I had to look as relaxed as possible and take a mental note to make an appointment soon with a _chiro_. _"I already_ _caught_ _h_ _im_ _to sleep on a pile of boxes one day, but it was a oneshot..."_ She took a long time to resume the conversation. _"No, I really_ _have no clue_ _... I’ve worn his Miraculous several times, and_ _except_ _from purring consciously, I’ve never had catlike tendencies like his._ " She took a deep breath that she slowly let go. _"I see two solutions: either_ _he_ _wear_ _s_ _his Miraculous for too long and that affects more and more_ _hi_ _s human side,_ _or_ _..."_

"Or?" Marinette repeated, more and more worried.

 _"..._ _or he’s messing with you_ _since the beginning and you've fallen royally into the trap!_ " This time, I heard the smile in my mother's voice and I couldn’t keep my seriousness, falling pathetically from the chaise lounge, laughing. I heard Emilie laugh at the other end of the line and Marinette growled like a fury. _"I let you settle that between you, but Mari? Try not to hurt him too much, will you?"_

I felt the floor tremble more and more closely, Marinette, furious, approaching dangerously close to me. "Sorry, Emilie, I can not promise you anything..." _Oops..._


	9. Catastrophe

_It's a monumental disaster...  
How am I going to explain it to her?!_

_Marinette hates lies, but telling her the pure truth would draw a target on my head!_

_Ahhhhh.......... But lying to her would be even worse..._

_Why didn’t I rather say nothing?_   
At first, it seemed to be the least dangerous option for my head, at least, the time I found a solution, but she saw it before I could repair the damage. Now, she doesn’t talk to me anymore. She ignores me completely, even. I can see that she doesn’t seem to care for me anymore, but this thought is gnawing at me.

I don’t know what to do…

"Mom?"

" _Hi Kitty! What's new?_ " But I take a moment to answer her. I can’t even watch the screen. " _KitCat, I know your dog-beaten look... What's going on?_ "

I took a deep breath as I relaxed slowly. "I made a mistake with Marinette, and now we're not talking anymore..."

" _And what did you do?_ " I felt in her tone of voice that the situation seemed to irritate her. " _Adrien..._ " She sighed with exasperation and I could only look away from the screen. " _If you can’t say it with your voice, say it with your hands..._ "

I turned to the screen, slightly embarrassed. I had completely forgotten this rule. It had become a habit after finding my voice after the fire. If I couldn’t say what I had to say with my voice, whether it was because my throat was still hurting me when I spoke, or simply because I had things to say to her that had to stay between us, we spoke by signs. " _I was taken by a game on my cell and I didn’t see her model on which she had installed her last sewing project for her portfolio. Cell phone in one hand and coffee in the other. I'll let you guess which one ended up on the dress..._ "

She grimaced, understanding the situation. " _And what did you do?_ " She seemed compassionate, sincerely curious.

" _I tried to hide the_ _stain_ _while waiting for a solution, but..._ "

" _... She found it before you got_ _the chance_ _to make a Miraculous Ladybug with her dress?_ " I just nodded and lowered my head. " _Have you_ _spoken to h_ _er_ _?_ " I shook my head. I had the impression of being too nicely scolded. I expected to receive a punishment as a kid. " _So_ _she’s not_ _talking to you since the incident?_ " I shook my head again. " _Does she ignore you or_ _glare at you_ _?_ "

I sighed for a long time. "She ignores me..."

I saw a smile stretch on her lips. " _Are you sleeping on the couch, or are you still sharing the same bed?_ " Okay, I understand her smile better...

"No, we're still sleeping together, but..."

She sighed, looking relieved. " _I know you're worried that_ _she doesn’t_ _like_ _you_ _anymore; I know quite well the boy abandoned by his father to understand what went through your_ _mind_ _. I can tell you that_ _she still loves you_ _..._ _She’_ _s just angry ‘_ _cause_ _you said nothing to h_ _er_ _..._ "

Hope returned slowly. "You... Do you think so?"

She burst out laughing. " _Of course! Otherwise, you’d_ _be_ _sleep_ _ing_ _in_ _the dog house_ _!_ " I giggled, remembering hearing Emilie often threatening Alain to send him to sleep in the house of the dog we didn’t have when he became unbearable. I quickly thanked her for her support, and then I decided to take my courage with both hands and go face the consequences.

"My Lady, I... I'm sorry for your dress. I was lost in thoughts and I dropped my coffee on it. I... I wanted to find a way to fix my blunder before you knew it, but I didn’t find fast enough and I... uh... I can understand if you're angry – you have all the reasons for it - or if you don’t love me anymore, I..."

I didn’t have time to finish apologizing to her when she hugged me. "Fool... Do you seriously think I'm going to stop loving you for a spot on a dress?" Looking up at me, she must have seen that the idea had gone through my head because she sighed and leaned her head against me again. "I was angry, that's right. This is a project that is close to my heart, but if you had told me about it as soon as it happened, I would have told you that it was not a problem and that I knew all the stuff of grandmother that exist on Earth to clean a stain on fabric... After all, you know how I've always been a ' _Miss Catastrophe_ '!" If I didn’t have my hands busy returning the embrace to the woman of my dreams, I would have slapped them in my face. _Of course_ she knew how to clean all forms of stains on all types of fabrics! She had to read my thoughts because she laughed. "I was just waiting for you to apologize, that's all... The stain is long gone!" I sighed, relieved, and just buried my face in the crook of her neck. "Talk to me next time, okay?"

I nodded, hoping the words come out more easily than when I spoke with my mother...


	10. Abandon

" _Hello Adrien! My name is Jeanne Bonenfant and I’m a social worker. I guess you want to know why we're talking today?_ " asked the lady on the phone.

I admit that the fact that Emilie gave me the phone and told me that I had a call surprised me particularly and, I must admit, filled with hope. "I admit that I am... curious."

The lady laughed softly on the other side of the line. " _Miss Prud'Homme called me to ask me to do some research on what’s happening with your family, but I’d also like to know how things are going at home. I'm not here to judge or criticize. I ask you to be perfectly honest and comfortable with your answers. I just take notes, that's all._ "

I turned to Emilie, silently asking her if she knew what was going on. She gently smiled and winked at me, then motioned me to go talk to the lady in my room. She did not want to hear this conversation that would undoubtedly expose personal details that I was not yet ready to share with her. I then locked myself in my room. "Is it going to cause trouble for Emilie?" I was afraid that what I was going to say could hurt her.

" _Unless she abuses you, no!_ " replied Mrs. Bonenfant laughing.

I sighed with relief. "Am I obliged to say everything?" I was still afraid of having to expose my double life to this stranger.

She seemed to think about the question. " _Y'know? You don’t have to tell me anything, but the more you tell me, the easier it’ll be for me to understand what's happening._ " I approved her reasoning and then invited her to ask me her questions.

So she began by asking me what had happened the night I had run away from my shoot. "During a break, Father called to find out how things were going. I was already frustrated to have to be on the other side of the world for a photo shoot, and the few times I left the hotel room, it was to go to the shoot. I took advantage of his video call to ask him if it would be possible to visit a little after the photo shoot, but I barely had time to finish my sentence that Father flatly refused. I tried to explain that I intended to wait until the end of the shooting and always stay with my bodyguard, but it was useless. He did not want to hear anything." I let out a long sigh before resuming, giving Mrs. Bonenfant time to take her notes. "After a while, he literally barred me from replicating, and even threatened to keep me locked at home for the week after I returned home. I was furious. He had not even deigned to accompany us. I... I do not remember exactly what I said, but I think I said something like, 'Still need you to stop me!' And I ran away without turning back. I... ran, ran until I lost my breath." I could not tell her that this race had actually been from one roof to another...

" _It was during this race that you found yourself at the_ _store_ _where Miss Prud'Homme works?_ "

"Yes..." I paused, looking in my memory for what really happened. "In my frustration, I did not realize that I had left only with the shooting clothes. When I caught my breath and my mind, it was then that I realized how cold I was. I entered the store, but by the time I found a coat that could be suitable, I noticed that I had left everything on the spot: my wallet, my cell phone, etc."

Mrs. Bonenfant whispered for a moment before resuming. " _Yes, I have a note here that says you tried to steal the coat. I understand that it wasn’t out of malice, but out of necessity?_ "

I nodded before realizing she could not see me. "Yes, I... I knew that to go back to the shooting, I would need something to keep me warm. Since I did not have my cell phone, I could not call my bodyguard so he could pick me up, and I was hoping to go back on my own track to return because I did not really take the time to make me landmarks to retrace my steps. With the snow that fell later, I realize today that I would never have succeeded!"

The lady burst out laughing. " _Yes, we had a hell of December, this year!_ " I heard her spin a few sheets before starting again. " _How are things going at home?_ "

I took a long time to answer, feeling a ball forming at the bottom of my throat. After a few minutes of silence, Mrs. Bonenfant called me, hoping to get my attention. I was always there, but I did not know where to start. "I... Apart from the employees at the manor, I'm alone with my father..."

She seemed to understand that I hesitated in my answers. " _And your mother?_ " I was waiting for this inevitable question.

"She has been missing for almost three years. Nobody knows what happened to her."

" _I'm really sorry about it..._ " she said softly. " _You loved h_ _er_ _a lot, I can feel it in your voice..._ " I nodded. " _How are things with your father?_ "

This was another question I feared. "He tends to stay immersed in his work."

" _But he's spending time with you, at least?_ "

I sighed deeply. "Much less since Mother's disappearance. I... I think he has not mourned yet..."

" _Did you?_ "

"I... I don’t know... I miss her terribly..."

She laughed softly. " _It's quite normal that you miss your mother; it's the opposite that would worry me! But my question is especially to know if you think to manage to turn the page, to continue to advance in life..._ "

I instinctively turned to the closed door of my room, visualizing Emilie working in the kitchen. "With the support of the right people, I should get there, yes..."

" _Do you think of someone from home when you talk about '_ _the_ _good support'?_ "

I gasped in surprise. I could have thought of my father, Nathalie, even my bodyguard. Of course, Nino and my Lady were some of my potential supporters, but in the immediate future, the only person I could count on was on the other side of the door. "No..." was the only possible answer.

" _What do you usually talk about_ _with_ _your father?_ "

I almost choked, trying not to laugh. "The few times we talk to each other, it is to inform me of some of his projects for which I will pose as model, or to let me know that he is disappointed with my performance at school or out of school, or still to forbid me to leave the house because my friends have organized a party that he does not want me to go to..."

I suddenly wanted to scream, worried about the turn of the discussion, while Mrs. Bonenfant seemed to think aloud. " _And how are things at Miss Prud'homme's?_ " I suddenly felt even more worried. " _I mean... she's spending time with you, or are you at home to be at home?_ "

"Oh! No!!" I'm not going to criticize her way of acting with me while I'm exposing the parallels between my life in France and the one I'm recently leading in Quebec! "Emilie is great! She knows that I’m autonomous enough to be able to be alone while she and Alain are at work. She left me a house key for the times I would like to go out while they are away, and we have all our dinn~ uh... our suppers together. On weekends, we go out sometimes to go walking together, or we visit her parents, or we stay at home and spend a few hours on the game console, or watch animes,..."

I stopped when I heard Mrs. Bonenfant laugh heartily. " _You seem to have a good time with them! Do you feel that they’re forcing themselves? That they do it by obligation and that it’ll not last? Do you feel like_ _you_ _'re doing all the chores and_ _they’re_ _abusing you?_ "

This time, I burst out laughing. "No! Absolutely not! From the very beginning, I felt appreciated for myself, whereas usually, I’m appreciated because of my father. They seem sincere in their affection, and if I do chores, it's because I'm the one who decided to do them. I find that, for what they offer me, it’s the least I can do to help them when they are away..."

I heard the lady go through her papers again. " _Good_ _! I think I have everything I need! I leave_ _you_ _my phone number if you think you have forgotten something important, or if you just want to discuss something you don’t feel comfortable talking to Miss Prud'homme or M_ _r_ _Croteau._ " I thanked her, taking note of the number in question. " _Do you have questions or anything else you’d like to discuss today?_ "

"Do you have news of my father? Whenever I try to contact him, I fall on his voice mail and he never returns my calls. Has something happened to him?" I might not be as happy at home as at Emilie's, but I loved my father, and his radio silence was more and more disturbing.

" _Unfortunately, I don’t have much to give you as information..._ " She seemed to look in her notes once more. " _He still seems active. I don’t know how things are going in fashion, if he has employees who can continue to create in his absence or if he has some... collections in advance? But from what I know, there would always be people at Manoir Agreste coming and going..._ "

I was not really convinced, but I already had a beginning of an answer. I thanked the lady and advised her that I would call her back if needed. I then stayed in my room for a moment, curling up on my bed. Father never created collections in advance, and the employees were only instructed to manufacture what he created. If what Mrs. Bonenfant said was true, then Father deliberately ignored my calls. Why?! Was I such a bad son that he had preferred to abandon me the one and only time I had finally found the courage to stand up to him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **I don't know how these kind of things work, and I doubt I'll ever know some one who will. Just roll with it, ok ?**


	11. Childhood

A good night's sleep at Marinette’s had allowed me to put my thoughts back in place and the pain in my shoulder had greatly diminished. I could move my arm again, but applying the slightest force made me wince. Finally meeting at the living room with my parents, Marinette and I were waiting for questions that Mother could ask me, and explanations that could offer me Father. "How's your arm?" He asked me in a soft voice. He seemed really sorry for what he had done to me.

"There’re times when it hurts me bad enough to want to tear it away, but in general, it's okay..." I wasn’t in such a mood to pretend that nothing had happened, and I’d to take a cold enough tone to make him understand that.

Mother then waved her hand, quietly asking that we all stay civil, which didn’t seem as easy as she’d have liked. I acquiesced and began to talk about my life in Quebec, to talk about what I’d lived as much as Adrien than as Chat Noir. I had to make them understand that I’d lost a lot in this story. After my resume, Mother took a deep breath. "I guess now that you know we've been Miraculous Bearers, you would like to know the whole truth about... us?" She finally asked, glancing at Father who seemed to agree with her decision.

"I admit that there’re some questions that I ask myself..."

Mother nodded. "It is quite normal, I think. We had to keep you away from our secret, as much for our protection as for yours."

"I remember, when we faced Hawkmoth on Heroes Day, that he told us we had no experience." Marinette said, casting a cold glance at Father. "I don’t remember ever hearing about superheroes before Ladybug and Chat Noir... How did you get that experience?"

"We found the Miraculous on a trip to Tibet many years ago. We did not have anyone but our kwamis to explain how they worked and what they could serve." Father seemed to go far back in his memories.

"It was early in our relationship, long before I became pregnant with you." Mother added as if to confirm. "We acquired our experience mainly in Tibet and China, hence the reason why Paris has never heard of heroes before." _Ah! Logic…_

I suddenly became curious. The cat in me, no doubt. "How did it work? I know roughly the powers of the Butterfly - mainly because I fought his akumas - but I have always known of the use of his powers to do evil. How did you use your powers to do good?" I suddenly had a realization. "You... used your powers to do good, I hope?!" I would never bear to know that my parents always used their powers to do evil...

Mother started laughing softly. "Yes, yes, don’t worry! In fact, your father akumatized me to give me extra powers to help me fight our enemies, while I was creating a Protector to make sure of his safety."

I gasped in surprise. "Waits! YOU were in the front line?!"

She burst out laughing. "Why does this surprise you?" She smirked. "You are the son of your father: gentleman to your fingertips!" I couldn’t help exchanging a look with Father. "A woman can fight on the front line too!" She began to laugh, no doubt at the memory of some confrontations. "Gab has always preferred to fight from a distance. It suited me perfectly!"

"What made you leave your hero roles?" Asked Marinette.

Mother turned to me, looking at me softly. It’d been a long time since I’d seen this look coming from her, and I couldn’t restrain a heat wave invade my heart, thinking back to Emilie. "When I got pregnant with Adrien. I could not fight anymore without risking losing him. So we decided to come back here, and put away our Miraculous." Mother seemed to want to avoid further explanation, but Father quickly took over.

Apparently, he seemed to want to redeem himself and be perfectly honest with us. "But your mother was not reasonable and, while I was working to create a place for myself in fashion, Emilie kept quietly patrolling the night. Paris never heard of her because she had perfected the control of her powers. But while she was trying to pretend nothing, she began to get sicker and sicker. I knew perfectly well why, but I could not let Paris, or you, know the reason. That is why, when she fell into a coma, I kept her hidden and declared her missing." _Okay. This explained that, but..._

"And me in all this?" I had a little trouble understanding my life as a hermit. "Why did you keep me locked up during my childhood?"

They exchanged a look, feeling visibly guilty. "Eventually, we made ourselves enemies, and some even had doubts about our identities" then explained Mother, gently taking Father’s hand. "For your protection, we made the decision to keep you at home. We hired Nathalie and Renaud to take care of you, especially because I was already starting to feel my condition deteriorate, but we did not consider the repercussions that this isolation could have on your social life... I'm sincerely sorry..."

"He was not always completely isolated!" Father replied. "He still became friends with the young Bourgeois, after all!"

This time, Mother almost threatened him. "Gabriel, he became friends with Chloé because André could not keep her with him during his campaigns and his work at the town hall. Audrey literally dragged her with her out of bounds when she came to see you for your designs! They are virtually _friends of convenience_!" I couldn’t stop a burst of laughter. I admit that my friendship with Chloé wasn’t very typical. I then realized that after all these years in Quebec, I didn’t miss her in the slightness... I should perhaps reconnect with her, if only for courtesy...

"And all these extracurricular activities?" Asked Marinette. I admit that I was curious too.

"I guess it was to keep me busy, but why ?!"

Even Mother had a skeptical look at Father. Apparently, she was also unaware of some of these activities. "I made you learn Chinese so that you could converse with our friends who stayed in Tibet. After all, if anything happened to me, they are the only family you have over there…" I cleared my throat, staring at him. He seemed to understand quickly since he recovered. "... well, apart from what you have now in Quebec, that goes without saying." Satisfied that he recognizes it, I found my smile and let him continue. "Fencing and karate among other things were to allow you to defend yourself if your bodyguard was not present to protect you, and the piano..."

Mother smiled softly, completing his sentence. "... is because he liked to hear me play it."

I sighed, understanding better my life, but at the same time, I was furious that all these aspects were decided for me without having given me neither the choice nor the reason. I think I still need some time to digest all this...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My sister decided the Gorilla's name was _Renaud_


	12. Tattoo

"Are you sure that's what you want?" Emi asked me as we studied the sketch we had been working on for almost four hours. I vigorously nodded, grinning, completely satisfied, but I could see that my mom wasn’t convinced. "I mean... I understand that you want to hide the scar on your back, but with... _that_?!"

I took the drawing to analyze it in more detail. I didn’t understand what was questionable in all that. "Listen, you draw very well, and I'm sure the tattoo artist can do something really great out of it!" I complimented her, apparently without success.

She ran her hand up and down her face, visibly discouraged. "And what do you think she's going to say the day she gets to see it?"

"Do you really think she's likely to see that with the magic latex suit?" I replied in the same tone.

She pinched the bridge of her nose. She probably didn’t think I would hold my end. "You want to hide your 'motorcycle' scar with an tattoo to feel less embarrassed during swimming competitions..." I nodded. It was after all why we worked on this drawing. "Do you think Ladybug will never come to one of your competitions? With or without the mask?"

I shrugged. "It's not as if she could make the link between Chat Noir and Adrien because of the tattoo, right?"

She gave me a shocked look. "Wait, you think my problem is that LB could do the link between you and your alter-ego?!" This time, I raised an eyebrow, unable to understand what was bothering her. "The fact that this is an _Anime Pinup Ladybug_ would have absolutely _nothing_ to do with a possible discomfort on her part?!"

_Oh…_

I massaged my neck, suddenly uncomfortable. I thought the design was superb, but brought in this way, I suddenly understood why Emi wasn’t convinced. "You... What do you propose, then?"

She burst out laughing and turned a few pages of her drawing book where there was a symbol of yin and yang in a tribal style with a cat in one half and a ladybug in the other. Starting from the symbol, she had scribbled swirls scattering in different directions and covering the whole page. In detail, she had drawn overlapping circles, following the shape of some volutes, and green flashes with black outline following the others. I was amazed by the concept. It represented perfectly Ladybug and Chat Noir  without revealing anything.

"So?" She seemed to understand that I had just changed my mind.

"Why didn’t we start with that?!" I answered her, still subjugated by her sketch.

She shrugged, as refusing to take all the credit. "First, it's an idea of your aunt, and secondly, I wanted to know first what you were interested in before offering it..."

I took note of thanking Mel for her idea. "We go with that!"

Emilie sighed with relief, she probably didn’t want me to find myself with a pinup in my back. She then added with a smirk, "We'll keep your pinup to make you a waifu..."


	13. Shapeshift

"Plagg? Plaaaaaaagg?!" I was searching for my kwami desperately. Fortunately, I knew that Alain was not home, so I could afford to look and call for him all around the house. _Where can this bottomless stomach be?!_ I found Emilie in the living room, a beautiful black cat with green eyes in her lap. Perplexed, I sat next to her, pointing to the cat. "A new friend?"

She looked at me, looking surprised. "An old friend, you mean." I must have look puzzled, since she has resumed. "Plagg told me that once in five centuries, he took a more natural form of his animal. It lasts about a month usually."

I literally swallowed a ball in my throat. _So, this cat is Plagg?! How will my transformation work with him as a cat? Does he_ _still_ _eat camembert, or_ _cat food_ _like a real cat?_

I suddenly heard Emilie do her best to stop laughing. I turned to her. She had to bite the inside of her cheek to restrain her mocking smile. What is happening? "I told you he'd bite the hook!" _That's Plagg's voice ?! And_ _it_ _obviously does not come from this cat!?_

Emilie burst out laughing, 'Plagg' fleeing from her lap. "He swallowed it, you mean!" At these words, Plagg, the kwami, came floating from behind her to rest on her head, both chuckling at my expense. _A_ _joke_ _... Ok..._

Then, I realized, face-palming. "It's April first... It's an April Fool's joke..."

This time, Emilie and Plagg burst out laughing. I felt really ridiculous. But then, this black cat...? "You know, my old Sushi died last year..." She put a hand on my shoulder, catching my eye. She seemed to know what had gone through my head. I nodded, having barely known the grumpy old gray tabby cat who, having fallen seriously ill, had to be euthanized at sixteen. "I got this one from a refuge last night during your patrol. As you had not seen it before, and seeing its resemblance to Plagg,…" I began to grumble, glaring at my kwami before I laughed myself.

I must admit that I got caught at 100 per hour. "How did you call it, for real?"

She shrugged. "I was thinking about Toothless; What do you think?" I vigorously agreed. As long as it was something _other_ than Plagg, it suited me!


	14. Fairytale

"Another story, Papa!" Emma asked, her two brothers nodding in unison.

I laughed. "I thought Maman took care of it already?"

"It's not the same when you tell them!" Explained Hugo, clutching his stuffed cat. _What can I answer that?_

"Okay, okay, but only one. Then it's sleepy time for everyone!" The children cried out in joy, huddling around their big brother.

I sat at the end of the bed, then thought about the story I was going to tell them. I often told the adventures of the Coccinelle and the Chat Noir against nasty monsters, but I wanted to tell them a whole new story. "One day, the nasty Papillon locked up the Chat Noir in a cage and sent him away from home and from the Coccinelle. Finding himself completely alone, the Chat was hoping for only one thing: to free himself and go home. Fortunately for him, the cage had a defect and the Chat took advantage of the fact that the Gorille and the Paon were distracted to free and save himself. He ran, ran, ran at full speed, until his paws hurt him. When he stopped, he realized he didn’t know where he was. Had he approached his home, or had he gone away?" I saw Hugo squeeze more of his stuffed cat against him, caught by the story. "The Chat Noir had run so much that he had found himself in a place full of snow. While searching for shelter, he met a powerful Dragon!" The children jumped, fearing for the life of the Chat Noir. "The Chat Noir wanted to flee, but his paws were frozen and he could only see the Dragon plunge its mouth on him!" This time, I had completely demolished them.

The Chat Noir couldn’t survive a Dragon attack, and Emma grabbed my arm, looking at me. "What's happening to the Chat Noir, Papa?"

"It's over?" Hugo sobbed. "The Dragon ate it?"

"If you stop me from telling my story, you'll never know!" I threatened smilingly. Having recovered their attention, I continued. "The Chat Noir believed that the Dragon was going to eat him, but the Dragon gently took him into his mouth and took him home. In his cave, it was warm and there was good food, but most of all, there was affection. The Chat Noir had always known the confinement imposed on him by the Papillon, and knew freedom and affection only in the company of the Coccinelle. The Dragon cared so well for the Chat Noir that he didn’t want to leave, but he missed the Coccinelle so much that the Chat Noir fell greatly ill. The Dragon seized the Chat Noir and flew with him to bring him home. The Chat Noir had already told him how afraid he was to fall again in the Papillon's grasp, but he missed the Coccinelle so much that he was ready to take the risk. The Dragon promised him to protect him."

"What happened?" Louis asked, arms around his sleeping siblings.

I gently smiled, taking each one to their respective bed. "The Dragon has reunited the Chat Noir and the Coccinelle, and has defeated the Papillon."

"He killed him?" He seemed worried that a nice Dragon could hurt anyone.

"Oh! No... The Dragon is a nice Dragon who protects everyone he can protect, even the bad Papillons. He only made sure for the Papillon to leave the Chat Noir alone, that's all."

"And what happened to the Chat Noir and the Coccinelle?" This time, it was by yawning that he asked me the question.

I smiled gently, tucking him. "They are now together, forever, without fear of anyone or anything, knowing that the Dragon is watching over them." Louis slowly nodded, visibly pleased with the turn of events, then fell asleep.


	15. Coffee Shop

_What went through my mind?  
_ _Why did I choose to teach ?!_

Somehow, I asked myself these questions every exam period. Meanwhile, Marinette found me absolutely unbearable and I went to work at the local Café, swallowing coffee after coffee. The barista was even prepared to make my order in advance and knew when I approached the end of my umpteenth coffee to bring me another.

Well, I must admit, this girl is literally a blessing.

As I finally approach the end, I hear a shrill voice that I never thought I heard again. "Adrikins ?!" I grimace at this nickname, then look up at a blonde with blue eyes.

No doubt possible. "Hi Chlo. It’s been a while!" I smile politely, but I don’t really want to talk to her; I have other things to do.

She then approaches my table very slowly, as if afraid of getting burned. She seems to be watching me from every angle before throwing herself into my arms. I was expecting it a bit, but she doesn’t do it the way I’m used to while growing up. She’s far from acting as the possessive girl I’ve always known, but she seems relieved to find me. I admit that I didn’t give her any sign of life for many years. She relaxes her embrace, gently taking my face in her hands to observe me again in more detail, I guess. "But what happened to you!?"

I can’t help laughing, then I finally decide that I need a break. I invite Chloé to sit down and tell her about my life in recent years. She listens attentively, which almost astonishes me. When I get to the part where I tell her that Marinette and I are in a relationship, she makes a face. "Dupain-Cheng?! You prefer this pathetic designer to me?? She is..."

"Watch out to how you're going to finish this sentence, Chlo." I threaten her calmly, but coldly. "You talk about the mother of my future child..."

She’s quickly silent, swallowing visibly with difficulty. I can see that the idea doesn’t please her, but she seems to finally respect it, and just for that, I find my smile. She begins to tell me how she took over the reins of _Style Queen Magazine_ and I’m impressed to learn that, unlike her mother, Chloé ensures that the staff receive the right training _before_ dismissing them for incompetence. Pushing a strand of hair with the haughty gesture I’ve always known her for, she lets me know that she decided to look less like her mother and rather to take inspiration from Ladybug, which warms my heart. I knew Chloé had a good heart! Her experience as Queen Bee paid off, finally!

I also make the remark. "Someone had to be competent to support her in the absence of this Alley Cat!" _Grmph... Longing for the day when I can tell h_ _er_ _right in the face_ _ **who**_ _is the_ _alley_ _cat!_


	16. Swap

"What do you suggest we do ?!"

I smirked, glancing at Ladybug. "Why not? We did it as well; you wouldn’t like to try too?"

I saw Carapace turn to RenaRouge. He seemed embarrassed more than stubborn. "What's going on, Rena? I thought you liked this kind of new experience?" Added Ladybug. I burst out laughing as Rena stared at her. Knowing who was under the masks made it even more fun.

"Come on! I don’t see how it would make you feel uncomfortable!? It stays between us, and that's it!" They were more than difficult to convince. "You’ll see, after, it brings you closer than ever before!"

Ladybug nodded and said, "It makes the flame come alive!"

RenaRouge and Carapace again exchanged a look more than stubborn. "You suggest that we exchange our kwamis!" Exclaimed Carapace.

I laughed. "You say that as if you’d been offered a couple exchange!" At these words, Ladybug also laughed loudly. Our two best friends started grumbling and laughing with us. It was true that an exchange of kwamis was far from being so crispy, but also far from being so awkward!

"In this case, I want the Black Cat!" Requested RenaRouge.


	17. Akumatized

Where were they all gone?

I was returning from a three-day trip with my students, but neither Marinette nor the children were home. Did I miss something?

I had absolute confidence in Marinette, but after two hours without news, I had something to worry about.

Someone then knocked on the door. _That's it, something happened to_ _them_ _!_ I opened quickly, fearing to see a policeman come to tell me the worst. But what I saw made me jump a meter back, my feline instincts quickly taking over.

In front of me was the puppeteer, the akumatized version of Manon Chamack. It could not be her!… Right?

I was going to call Plagg to transform myself, when I heard a crystalline laugh, a laugh that I could recognize among a thousand. _Marinette?!_ "Easy, _Chaton_! Akumas no longer exist, remember?" I was calm again, analyzing a little better the character flying in front of me. I suddenly realized, like an idiot, that it was Emma, wearing a costume and makeup, Ladybug's yoyo wrapped around her waist to make her fly.

I sighed, reassured, seeing Louis disguised as Gamer and Hugo in a little Evillustrator, Marinette behind the group in his magic suit. _Why all these costumes?_

"Do you know that you really have trouble with the notion of time?" Complained Plagg as he approached the door. "It's the date of this holiday you call 'Halloween', idiot!" I flatly slammed my hand in the face. It was my favorite holiday in Quebec. My educational trip with my students made me completely forget that we were coming back at the end of October.

"There is a masquerade going on." Marinette then informed me. "Are you coming with us, _mon chaton_?" I nodded, asking Plagg to transform me, then we went out, Marinette making sure to make Emma the Puppeteer ‘fly’ as often as possible.


	18. Cosplay

Marinette couldn’t stop laughing. It must be said that Emma had given herself thoroughly.

It all started with Emma watching Sailor Moon with delight. My favorite anime. Smiling, I snuck into the storing room to get out a suit that Emi had sent me as a souvenir. The day had finally come to dust it off. I wondered, though, if it was still going to fit me, asking for it several years ago for Halloween. It was a little tight, but it was going to have the desired effect.

I then returned to the living room, taking a characteristic pose of the character. Emma turned to me, then her face lit up. "Sayo' Moon!" Emma quickly got up and jarred my leg, pulling in spite of herself on a quilt of the long blonde wig.

I couldn’t help but laugh in my turn, coming out of the character. "Do you like my costume, Emma? It's Mimi who did it. What do you think about it?"

She began to think for a moment, then left for the bathroom to return with her mother's makeup kit. I swallowed, keeping my smile at best. I knew what was waiting for me: a make-up session with my four-year-old daughter.


	19. Fencing

How could they continue the competition? The result was so obvious that even Marinette was surprised. However, the championship had to go to the finals. In a few well placed shots, Kagami was declared undisputed winner. As the crowd of spectators began to disperse, I noticed Kagami staring at me. She had to find out if I was the one she remembered. All of a sudden, she put her helmet back on, grabbed her sabre and literally rushed towards me. By reflex, Marinette and I separated, hoping that she’d only attack one of us and that the other could intervene. I finally saw Kagami turn to me and resume her assaults. _Of course. Why me?_ The spectators still present scattered in panic, probably fearing that an akuma had possessed her. For my part, I was happy to have my feline reflexes, avoiding her sword often narrowly.

A fencer had dropped his sabre into the crowd. _Finally!_ I quickly got hold of it and I was finally able to fight back, making sure I pulled her away from the crowd. From the corner of my eye, I could see that Marinette hadn’t found a way to go hide to transform. I had to hold on as long as possible. My training in fencing went from long ago. I’d never practiced it other than when I was training with Emi to help her fight better when she patrolled as Pantera. After a few dodging however, the pace quickly returned and I was able to regain ground. But Kagami had never stopped training and quickly put me down despite my best efforts.

I was immobilized on the ground, breathless, the point of the sabre near my throat. I looked up at her, praying for her to spare me. She then removed her helmet, a barely perceptible but still present smile on her face. Kagami lowered her sword and held out a hand towards me to help me up. "You are still a worthy opponent despite all these years, Adrien." I sighed. She was really just gauging me. Seeing that the fight seemed over, Marinette rushed to me, hugging me, then turned to Kagami, making sure everything was all over.

The two women watched each other for several minutes, without a word. Kagami then observed us in turn, still so quietly, then looked down at my wife's swollen belly. She took a step back, bowing respectfully as her Japanese culture dictated. "The victory is yours." She then straightened up, turned around and left without adding anything. _What was she talking about?_ I turned to Marinette to ask for her opinion, but at her eyes, always on the back of Kagami, I preferred to postpone these explanations to later.


	20. Music

Father had always made me take piano lessons for as far as I could remember. If it was not with Mother, it was with private teachers. Although it was something that I was not necessarily passionate about, it was still an activity I liked. To start giving lessons myself, I found some of this interest, sometimes surprising me to play for the pleasure of the pieces that I had practiced so many times that I only played by instinct, the muscular memory quickly taking controls.

Since I came back home, I quickly realized that there was always music in the house, whether it was because of Alain when he was training, or because of me during my school work, or because of Emilie when she was working in the sewing room or on the computer. Even when we left the house, we always left the radio on to calm the anxiety of Jackie, the youngest of the cats.

But the best moments for me were when I caught Emilie singing softly while she was working or while she was cooking. She didn’t sing like a professional, but she sang right and her soft voice had something magical that calmed me, reassured me. When I had a bad day - or a bad night - and I came to join her on the couch, it was enough that I rest my head on her knees so that she starts to play in my hair and she starts to sing softly.

During these moments, I felt like I was with my missing mother again.

Music had taken an important place in my life, a whole lot of different memories attached to it since it was literally ubiquitous. So naturally the idea of installing a good sound system in the bunker came to me. At first, the silence that prevailed seemed oppressive to me, so if Emilie was the least conscious of her environment, being captive of her body in total silence would drive her completely crazy. So I contacted my aunt to send me a playlist of my mother's favorite songs to make an interesting mix with the help of Nino. Marinette and I had made him aware of what had happened and, by the same token, of our identities, and he had quickly understood the importance of the thing. As new songs became popular, he updated the list and removed some of the songs that had run out of time. I was happy to see that my best friend was taking this task seriously.

I could only hope that Emilie was happy and that she was still having a good time.


	21. Modeling

Emilie had instructed me to pick up the post for the shop. Since she preferred to keep the professional mail separate from the personal mail, she had taken a post office box, but usually took care of picking up the mail. Today, I had time and I passed by leaving my diction classes. I was surprised, however, by the amount of letters in it. Once back home, I took the initiative to see who they were addressed to: it may have been an error after all. Only a few were correctly addressed to the shop, but for many, they were addressed to the ‘model’ of the shop, or a derivative of the thing. Perplexed, I went downstairs to find Emilie and my aunt at the workshop, giving her the mail while keeping the letters that were unquestionably intended for me. " _Does it happen often?_ " I signed to her, pointing to the pile.

Looking at the amount of letters, she sighed, then nodded. "I try to keep you as much as possible outside of it because I don’t want to overwhelm you with that. Your 'modeling' for the shop is only ‘cause it's a necessary evil, ‘cause I sometimes have no other options." Emilie had a small smile before continuing. "Usually, the letters that emit a powerful smell of perfume, I don’t even open them and I throw them directly. Those who are more 'admirative', I allow myself to answer them in your place. It's often the same thing: 'Thank you for your interest', 'Your words of encouragement are very much appreciated', etc. You get so much a week that you'd never stop..."

I sat down, slightly shocked. " _Why didn’t you tell me about it before? There might have been personal mail in there!_ "

She shrugged. "If there were really, it wouldn’t have been addressed to the 'model', but to 'Adrien'." I nodded, understanding the difference. "I promise you opened all that was directly addressed to you." She paused, Mélanie watching the exchange in silence. "If you prefer, I can let you manage your ‘modeling’ mail, but I meant it when I asked the first time: it's my project and I don’t want you to feel obligated." She giggled with laughter. "I can’t get the modeling out of the model, but I'm trying to get the model out of the modeling... If he wants to get out of it, of course..."

I giggled - slightly guttural given the condition of my vocal cords - and shook my head. " _I don’t miss it at all, so I think you can continue as you do._ " I looked at the pile of letters I still had in my hand. " _If you want, I'll give you a break from those, and I'll give you a hand for the next ones._ " She approved the idea. From the time I worked for my father, this amount of mail did not intimidate me, but since my departure from France, receiving three letters in a week was a big week. The modeling that Emi asked me was a pleasure compared to the one my father imposed on me. If answering a few letters was the price to pay, I was very happy to take care of it.


	22. Gaming

"Wait... are you _kitten_ me?! How did you do that?"

" _Experience, 'Drien, experience!_ " Eve laughed in the headphones as I heard the music of ‘game over’ on my side.

"Experience?!" I grumbled, throwing the controller with a discouraged move beside me on the couch. "You've been playing for just six months now and you're beating me like you've been playing for years!" She started laughing again in the headset.

I had to get Marinette's attention while I complained. She approached me, looking at the score with a critical eye. "Have you been defeated by a noob? You’re losing your touch, _Chaton_!" She started laughing too, Eve imitating her in the headset, no doubt having heard her. _They were two against me!_

"Eve may be a beginner at _UMS3_ , she’s a monster at video games! She's probably the best gamer I've ever…" I stopped, just in time maybe, when I saw Marinette's dubious look. _Marinette_ is the best gamer I know, but Eve has become, since I know her, an opponent of the first order. _And if_... "In fact, I can’t beat neither of you both..." Marinette gave me an even more suspicious look, Eve sneering in the headphones. "I've never been able to defeat you at _UMS3_ , but I've never been able to defeat Eve either, and you know I may not be as good as you, but I still have a good score in general!" I turned my head, showing that I was talking to Eve now. "What would you say to a match against Mari?"

" _Are you sick?!_ _Of_ _ **course**_ _!!_ " I felt the enthusiasm in her voice. It was a good sign. I extended the controller to Marinette and the headset. When she chose the ladybug mecha, I heard Eve crying in the headphones. " _YES! I'll FINALLY be able to use the black cat! 'Drien never leaves_ _it to_ _me!_ " I giggled, Marinette looking at me in the corner of her eyes, and the friendly competition could begin.

Both were visibly high-level, Marinette even biting her lower lip occasionally. Decidedly, I was inexperienced in comparison to them. I crashed into the couch, watching them play with as much discouragement as jealousy, I would say. I watched them accumulate points and I felt pathetic compared to them. During the game, my phone vibrated, having received a text message. It was my aunt.

 **Mel** : _Gotta say_ _, BanaNya, we really_ _suck_ _compared to them!_

She must be watching Eve play on her side.

 **You:** Yep...

 **Mel:** _Next_ _game_ _, we'll play one against the other..._

I made a small smile, looked up to see where the game was, then went back to my phone.

 **You:** What u think bout a comp in collab?

She then sent me a small animation of an excited black cat, making me laugh despite myself. It meant everything!

After an endless time, the game was finally over, Marinette winning by just a few points on Eve. I then proposed the competition in collaboration, Quebec against France. Of course, my Lady is competitive and never refuses a challenge. So I prepared a second gaming kit. I couldn’t possibly defeat my cousin alone, but with my Lady, I was certain to be able to do so… That is, if my aunt was at the same level as I am, which was uncertain...


	23. Puns

" _Chaton_? You received a package!" I rushed to Marinette to retrieve my package. "It comes from your Quebec mother."

I couldn’t help but smile. I knew _exactly_ what it contained, but at the same time, it was always a surprise. In recent years, she sent me regularly this kind of package, and for no reason in particular. She just let me know that she was thinking of me and each time, it made me warm in my heart. I promptly opened the packaging to take out a t-shirt. Seeing the image, I burst out laughing, literally folded in half. Visibly curious, Marinette grabbed the sweater I held in my hands. I was too busy trying to catch my breath to stop her. She started laughing too.

After a while, when we regained our composure, Marinette looked at the t-shirt and the paper from the package. "You knew what the package contained, right?" I nodded, slightly curious. "And... it's obviously not the first time she's sending you something like that..."

I shook my head and guided her to the bedroom, to my closet. When I opened it, she laughed, then grunted, then rolled her eyes, then laughed again. On a complete pole was a panoply of T-shirts of the same kind that I still held in hand. Marinette then began to browse the jerseys I had exposed. On each of them was a cat pun, whether it was a green cat with thorns below which it was written 'catcus', or the classic 'mew gato be kitten me right meow'. I even had one with a 'feline' version of movie characters whose names had been changed accordingly. I picked up my new sweater and installed it with the others. It was custom, I could see it just because I knew Emilie's work. She had put a Chat Noir drawing with a sign of shame around her neck like these funny pictures of animals. On the sign, one could read 'my puns are cat-astrophic', hence our uncontrollable laughter.

"Why didn’t I ever see you wearing them?" Marinette asked me, almost shocked by the secret collection.

"I knew how you would take it, so I only wear them at the end of the school year, when my students know a little better about who they are dealing with, but there are some that I’ve never worn because I love them too much to risk damaging them." My mother had a particular taste for these sweaters and knew the word games that would please me the most.

Marinette then rummaged through my collection to bring out my most recent t-shirt and place it this time prominently, making sure it would be the first thing one would see when they opened the door. "I think your mother has great tastes, and this one deserves a place of choice!"


	24. Flirt

"A-dri-en!" I jumped at hearing my mother singing my name. When I turned my attention to her, she seemed to be waiting for a moment. "I've been calling you three times!"

"Oh! Uh... Sorry, I..." _Damn!_ I hope she won’t be angry...

She laughed. "I just wanted to know how your homework was going? The history of Quebec isn’t always easy..."

"Ah! I'm done!" Her laugh had reassured me a little.

"What are you looking to to be so focused?" She advanced to see the computer screen with some reluctance. "Oh! That looks familiar!" She sighed deeply. Did she expect me to look at something el~ _Oh... Ooohhhh..._

I started to laugh nervously. "You know that?"

She shrugged. "The name, but I never watched it. I just know it's a shojo." She then looked down at my notebook. "And you take notes for...?"

I was a little nervous about answering details, but Emi knew about my double life, so why not? "I'm trying to find tips and ideas for... flirting..." I felt myself blush only to admit it out loud, and Emi's laughter did not help.

"And you... you think that Ladybug... will fall for that?!" She asked between hiccups, Plagg laughing out loud beside her. _Just shut the f~ … wait a moment..._

"Ladybug ?! I... No, I…" I looked down at my notebook. "I know she loves another boy, and honestly, even though I knew she was available, I doubt she would be willing to go on a date with me. She is... so out of my reach, so out of my league that I..."

Emilie suddenly became serious and, as I glanced at her, I saw that she and Plagg were silently exchanging a look. She then turned to me, curious. "So, if you did a cross on Ladybug, why do you need notes to flirt?"

I nervously massaged my neck, feeling a heat wave rise in my face. "Do you remember that video I received for my birthday? The one where Marinette…" The words began to jostle in my head, but none managed to get out.

I then heard my adoptive mother sigh softly, a smile spreading across her lips. She bent over my notebook to grab it and read the notes I had thrown in bulk. She suddenly became very serious, then closed the notebook and threw it over her shoulder. She then grabbed the chair on which I was sitting and brought it to the corner of my bed where she sat, Plagg perching on her head, probably not wishing to miss such an opportunity. "Kitty, there really are things you need to learn from real life..."


	25. Career

I hated this kind of visit, but it was a necessary evil. The cold that was settling down quickly between Father and I was heavy, and giving the impression that I wanted to be here was sometimes as difficult as defeating an akuma. It must be said that it was a short time since he had gone to the police, and it was a new ... _habit_ – by lack of better word - in our respective lives.

There was something, however, that I needed to discuss with him. His future was sealed for the next few years, but I needed to let him know what I had decided for my own future. After our usual greetings, dictated first by courtesy, he asked me how was Mother, this time by real interest. It wasn’t difficult to understand that Maman mattered to him more than me, but the circumstances made me not to care. Emi had already given me all the love that my father was incapable of, even if she was encapsulated in a bunker in the basement.

A heavy silence then settled between us, as usual. Father probably saw that I was looking for ways to approach the subject for which I had asked to visit him. "Say what you have to say, Adrien," Father exclaimed after noisily sighing in exasperation.

I suddenly began to gesticulate under the table, words coming out more easily with my hands than with my own voice. I had to concentrate on what my hands were saying. "I... I decided that I wouldn’t take the reins of the _Gabriel_ brand and that..."

I didn’t have time to finish my sentence that Father burst out laughing, giving me cold in the back. A laugh that wanted to be amused as if I had told him my best joke. "You truly believe that after all that happened, I was just going to give you all my shares in the company?!" _No. Of course._ Father had always seen me as an incompetent and it wasn’t today that it was going to change. He suddenly resumed his seriousness and his icy gaze, although his voice remained surprisingly soft. "I spoke with my lawyer and asked that _Gabriel_ was handed over to Miss Dupain-Cheng... in full." _What?!_ "She has everything it needs to take over and keep _Gabriel_ at the top." _Marinette?! Marinette was going to inherit the Gabriel empire?!_ Fortunately, I was sitting because I felt my pressure soar. "You do not have what it takes to support such a company, but Marinette has the talent and strength of character needed to easily get into the workings. I even asked Audrey Bourgeois if she would like to become her mentor, and she accepted without hesitation." This time, he smiled. A sincere smile as I had rarely seen. "Honestly, I've never seen you at _Gabriel_ 's head, but I'm happy that the company is coming back to someone as talented as Miss Dupain-Cheng, and that you have made teaching your career choice." He lowered his eyes. _He lowered his eyes!_ "I am grateful to Miss Prud'homme for the part she has played in your future, and the teaching of Physics seems to me to be a very honorable work."

The guard then informed us that the period of visit was drawing to a close, Father following him without discussion. As he left the room, however, he turned slightly to me, telling me something I couldn’t hear, but that I could easily read on his lips. _I'm proud of you._


	26. Hamsters

The day had finally come. Marinette and I, by mutual agreement - and especially because the landlord refused to let his tenants own animals like cats or dogs - we went to the pet store to get a hamster. Who would have thought we both loved these little balls of fur?! I’d planned the shot and had taken antihistamines before entering, knowing that there would undoubtedly be birds there and I couldn’t afford to sneeze without stopping.

Walking along the rodent cages, we came across the most adorable hamsters; chocolate brown with a small white spot on the chest and the tip of the nose. The employee gently pulled it out of its cage and handed it to me, but when I introduced it to Marinette, she began to sneeze. We exchanged a surprised look, then Marinette sneezed again, more frequently. I looked at the little rodent that seemed to be watching the scene without really realizing what was happening, then I returned the animal to the employee who put it back in its cage. At once, Marinette's sneezes faded. It was our chance : I’m allergic to birds, and she’s to hamsters! We exchanged a look again, disappointed this time, and left.

From that day, I often saw Marinette surfing on her phone, looking at pictures of hamsters and doing research on allergies. I saw the disappointment in her eyes, but I didn’t know what to do to reassert her mood.

Browsing the Internet on my side, I came across a site that sold hamsters stuffed animals, just a little larger than the real rodent. I couldn’t help it.

I received my package a few days later. Marinette remained in the living room watching a fashion show on TV, so I had plenty of time to put my plan into action. I exchanged a mischievous look with the kwamis, Tikki laughing softly behind her paws and Plagg grumbling without seeming uninterested. I slowly approached Marinette from behind and flipped the box over her head.

She suddenly cried out in surprise as a shower of small stuffed hamsters fell on her. The kwamis and I laughed heartily as Mari assessed the extent of the damage, taking some plushies in her hands. They were all colorful and in different postures, making each of them an unique animal. I then leaned towards her, a Chat smile stretching on my lips. She turned to me, grumbling softly, then grabbed me by the collar and pressed her lips to mine.

"Stupid Cat..."


	27. Dadrien

" _Hold on! You’_ _re asking_ _**me**_ _?!_ _R_ _emember that the only child I've had is you and you've arrived you were almost sixteen!_ "

"I know, Mom, but you probably have something? Anything?! I really don’t know what to do!"

I heard her grumbling at the other end of the line. I admit that with time lag, it was almost three o'clock in the morning in Quebec. _Sorry_... " _And your mother? She can’t help you?_ "

"Mother is in the hospital. She had severe pneumonia. I understand now why you told me to keep warm in the winter!"

" _Don’t_ _you_ _listen to me!_ " She said, a smile in her voice. " _I didn’t say that lightly, you know!_ " We burst out laughing before she started again. " _And the Dupain-Cheng?_ "

"Traveling for their wedding anniversary and impossible to join." We sighed in unison.

" _So, you called the only person who could give you a semblance of direction to solve your problem..._ " There was no annoyance in her voice; only the enumeration of a fact. " _What do Internets say?_ "

"Nothing we haven’t tried before..."

At that moment, Marinette arrived in the living room, Louis crying continuously in her arms. His little face was red with effort, and Mari's eyes with lack of sleep. She watched me talking on the phone, looking hopeful. I shrugged and shook my head. It wasn’t looking good. I suddenly heard my mother inhale loudly, announcing enlightenment. " _The Internet can’t give you_ _advise on_ _stuff that_ _it_ _do_ _es_ _n’t know about!_ " She must have understood that my silence indicated my incomprehension since she resumed. " _Adrien, purring has the ability to soothe stress and anxiety. It’s clear that a site wo_ _n’_ _t_ _tell_ _you_ _to_ _leav_ _e_ _your child to the care of the cat of the house, but when the_ _house_ _cat’s_ _name is_ _'_ _Da_ _drien',..._ "

She didn’t have time to finish her sentence that I exchanged the phone for Louis and that I emitted my sweetest and calmest purr. In an instant, Louis calmed down. In two moments he had fallen asleep.

_Finally!!!_


	28. Nightmares

It was three nights in a row. Emilie could give me melatonin to help me fall asleep, once in the land of dreams, nightmares broke the door with bazooka. This morning, I literally woke up spooning with my foster mother! _Awkward_... Well, I’m still happy that I was the little spoon, but still! When I regained a minimum consciousness, I realized that I was holding her wrists tightly, preventing her from leaving. That explained why she had not gone to bed after calming my nightmare. We really had to find a way to counter that. It was with dark circles under the eyes, sharing a coffee, that part of the solution presented itself to us.

Back from a weekend in Quebec City with the school, Mélanie and her daughter came to tell us about their stay, but seeing our condition to both, they were content to tell the outline. "We’ve brought you something for both of you!" Exclaimed Mel, handing us each a large gift bag. Inside mine was a cushion the size of a pillow, shaped like a ladybug. It looked like a huge stuffed toy. I looked at the thing, then turned to Mel to see if she was serious, but her huge smile quickly made me realize that was the case. I shrugged and buried my face in the fluffy fabric of the cushion. It was so soft that I only tightened my grip around the cushion. I then heard Emilie open her own bag and burst out laughing, but the Ladybug cushion had real soporific power and prevented me from looking up to see what she had received. After a while, I crashed into my chair and I think I fell asleep.


	29. Helping Hands

I hear the front door open. _Shit, already ?!_ This time, I panic... even more. Things are really _cat_ astrophic! I scream "No!! Don’t get in!" But it's too late. My mom sees the lamentable state of the kitchen: There are dirty dishes piled up in the sink, a black smoke starts to escape from the oven, a fine white dust covers almost every surfaces - me included - and the smoke detector laments. _I know it's the fourth time, but it's better that she doesn’t know_ _that_ _!_ My mother looks at the disaster, then turns to me, frozen on the spot, looking like a deer in headlights. I then see her lips stretch, and she laughs, holding her ribs, then she drops to the ground, unable to control her giggle. I grumble, unable to accompany her. I feel pathetic in my situation. Sheepishly, I put the oven mittens to get the mold that contains a charred substance out of the oven, but I don’t have time to put it on the counter it escapes from my hands, the heat having passed through the mitts’ fabric. This time, I drop on my knees, completely discouraged, Emilie laughing only more.

I feel her approaching me, but I can only look at my mold and its spilled content on the floor. I can’t function anymore. I'm probably emotionally as burned as this... thing that lies on the ground. She kneels next to me and hugs me, but I feel her still hiccuping, trying to control her laughter. "What are you doing?" She finally said, a huge smile in her voice.

I sigh, exhausted. "It's our birthday, and I wanted to surprise you by giving you a hand with supper, but..." I point to what I was hoping to be a cake, now black as coal. I then make a large movement of the arm, this time showing her the state of the kitchen. I sigh deeply, then grumble when I hear her laugh again.

"Y’know you’re a desperate cause in a kitchen!" It wasn’t a reproach, but the mere acknowledgment of a fact. She tries to cheer me up by ruffling my hair, sending a cloud of flour around us. The thing is more and more ridiculous and I end up laughing with her. "Come on, get up! You'll tell me what you want to do and I'll help you. That way, you can at least say it was your idea!" I nodded; it was probably the best solution. "Y'know? It also makes me feel good not to have to find what to do for supper!" She clears my cheeks of flour with one hand and kisses me happily. "It's a great gift, Kitty, thank you !!"


	30. Tropical Island

"Have you ever imagined our life together?" I might not have asked the question, considering the head that Marinette showed me. After all, we found each other only two months ago; this kind of story could be embarrassing, especially since, since the return of my biological mother, I had almost never returned to the mansion except to visit my adoptive mother. I stayed mostly at Marinette’s apartment.

She buried her face in her hands, as red as her suit, to finally nod. After giggling - and being slapped on the shoulder for that - she started telling me what had already gone through her head. "A big house with a dog, three kids and a hamster..." She then paused, glancing at me. "And you? How did you imagine your future with 'the girl under Ladybug's mask'?"

I laughed. "At first, I said to myself that I would live on a tropical island, far from everything, that we would be eating exotic fruits... and we would have a hamster..." She burst out laughing. Definitely, we were made for each other!

After a moment, though, she seemed to consider the thing more seriously. "I don’t say I’d _live_ on a tropical island, but... I don’t say no to spend our honeymoon there..."

I choked on my coffee. "Ho-Honeym-m-moon ?!" I couldn’t help staring at her, wondering if she was joking or being serious. She looked away slightly, blushing furiously, then gently nodded. I felt myself blush before finding the Chat in me. "Is this an official proposal?" She turned to me, horrified by the idea. "As a gentleman, I'm the one who should ask for your hand, right?"

I gently took her hand to kiss it, drawing a chuckle before I was pushed back on the nose - _ah! Like in the good old days!_ "In fairy tales, maybe, but in the 21st century, the girl can also propose, you know?" Her embarrassment came back to hit her hard, only making me laugh.

"I know, that's how my adoptive grandparents proposed to each other..." I grabbed her hand again and kissed it again. "It’s with pleasure that I accept, Princess..."


	31. Kitty

Marinette was watching my screen with a smile as I chatted with Emi. She was apparently caught in a meeting with suppliers for the shop she had created with her sister. While Emilie was mainly responsible for accounts, orders and customers, Mélanie was in charge of everything related to manufacturing as such. So, in this meeting that seemed to never end, the suppliers were there to offer their products, be they patterns, fabrics or models, in short, supplies for making clothes. My quebec mother was there first to make a good impression, but she had absolutely nothing to do in this meeting, hence the reason why she was chatting with me by text, Marinette taking by the same time news from her as she was reading over my shoulder.

_**Mom: If theyre asking me, Im chatting with a designer and her main model bout another project** _

Which, in a sense, wasn’t a lie. However, the other "project" was simply the organization of her vacations to come and spend with us in France.

After a few hours of more or less serious discussions, I put away the tablet. "How many nicknames did she give you ?!" Marinette asked after a moment. It’s true that, in reading our conversation, she had plenty of time to take note of them.

I took a moment to answer, mentally making a list. "Kitty, KitCat, KittyCat, NyanCat, Son-shine, Cinnamon Roll or CinnaBun, Bud, Asparagus or Shallot..."

"Shallot ?!" Marinette repeated without really understanding.

I took a moment to understand her confusion. "Oh! In Quebec, they call green onions ‘shallots’. They call our shallots 'French shallots'" ( _**I don’t know if this is actually the case in English**_ ) She then nodded and I picked up my list with a smile. "My aunt is kidding a little more with nicknames. She calls me everything close to bananas: BananAgreste or BanAdrien, BanaNya,…" I paused as Marinette rolled her eyes. "Well, thinking about it, it was rather rare that she really calls me by my name... It usually never was considered anything good!" Marinette burst out laughing. This was self-evident. "Let's see... I got Didi, 'Drien, Blondy,... Oh! To mock me, Mel sometimes called me 'Adrikins'…" This time, Mari made a grimace that made me giggle. "The list is long, but I liked these nicknames, even those related to bananas... It gave me the impression, in the early days at least, to have a real family... until I _had_ a real family!"

Marinette gently nodded. She was often entitled to nicknames from friends at school and even close relatives. At home, at least, at the Agreste, everything was always very formal and the nicknames had no place. "In this list, which was your favorite?"

I smiled, probably out of nostalgia. "Kitty, without hesitation. This is the first nickname that Emi gave me, as if she had baptized me with it, and then... Kitty means _Chaton_ in English, and for a few, it gave me the impression that you weren’t that far..."

My Lady's gaze softened. Those years passed away from each other were hard, but those years were now far behind us...


End file.
